


Inherent Instinct

by Destructionofsanctum (Momoisme), Momoisme



Series: In Another Life [5]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Mythology - Freeform, Werewolves, coming to an understanding, more about Elayn's past, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-01-11 22:16:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18433205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Momoisme/pseuds/Destructionofsanctum, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Momoisme/pseuds/Momoisme
Summary: France, beautiful in the spring, but the region hides a deadly secret.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! I'm not sure how I keep coming up with stuff for these two. Enjoy!

France was beautiful in late spring. The countryside was filled with blooming splashes of color that, while not quite as vibrant as in day, were still quite pretty lit by moonlight to the eyes of Elayn and Serana as they made their way down the road. They spoke as they walk, and the odd traveler with courage enough to brave the road at night would notice that there was a third member of their conversation, one that spoke from one shadow here, and then another there, until it seemed as though there were multiple speakers.  
  
There weren't, of course. Salem just enjoyed being as ghostly as they could manage.

"I'm just saying," Serana said, with the reasonable tone of someone who has tried to argue their point with no success. "If we're descended from children of Poseidon, then why don't we share more in kind with fish? I don't breathe under water, I just don't breathe." 

_Then where is your metal leg?_ Salem asked with the patience of someone speaking to a small child. _And how often has Hecate commanded you to her will?_

“Poseidon hasn't done much of that either,” she argued back, and anyone could see she was hiding a smile beneath her frown.

Elayn let her ears pick up the conversation as it went on, without focusing on it wholly, so that she also heard the sounds of the forest around them. It was because of that passive perception that when the few birds that sang at night went quiet. It was the only warning the party received before the bushes exploded, and a heavy weight bore Elayn to the ground while claws ripped into her back.

“Elayn! Get off of her!” Serana shouted, and the beast above her yelped as it was hit by necromantic energy and went flying.

Her back on fire beneath her now-shredded clothes, Elayn shoved herself up in time to see the beast gather itself. It's eyes opened as it stood, and she got a good look at wild silver eyes and a familiar, furry shape before it was racing at them again, teeth bared.

Elayn acted without thinking. She rushed to put herself between the wolf and Serana. Hunched forward, eyes wide and teeth showing, she brought a snarling sound from the depths of her chest and turned it into a bellow that shook the leaves of the trees around them.

It was all over as soon as it had begun. The wolf skidded to a halt and turned tail at the sound of Elayn's fury. When it was gone, Elayn stood, and spat contempt in the direction it fled.

“What on earth? That was no ordinary wolf,” Serana said, sound shaky but sharp, which was fair given how sudden the attack had been.

“No, it wasn't,” she said, peering through the trees as though she might catch a glance of the creature that attacked them. “That was a werewolf.”“

* * *

Are you sure?” Elayn asked for the sixth time, pacing while Serana readied herself to sleep the day away in an inn they had found in a town not too far from where they were attacked. Certainly not far enough for the approach of dawn to be much of a threat. It also meant the town they were in might be well within the territory of the wolf who had attacked them.

“Yes,” Serana repeated, hiding what little exasperation she felt. Or, she tried, only to get a frown from Elayn. “I've told you enough times, luv,” she said, smiling to ease the sting in her words. “If you want to stick around and investigate, I won't argue with you.”

Elayn looked ready to argue against her own case again, so she seized on a different topic. “Do you think there's a pack out here?” she asked.

It worked. “There might be,” Elayn said, finally sitting on the edge of the bed. “There's a few French packs, not that I've met any of them, but my p--” She made a face like she'd bit into something sour. “I knew they existed.”

“So maybe the wolf we ran into just thought we were intruders.”

“Maybe, but--” Elayn frowned, and twisted to rub the more or less healed lacerations on her back. “Whoever it was, they should have been able to smell I was wolfborn, and we would have settled it traditionally.”

Serana raised an eyebrow. “Traditionally?”

“It would have been an upfront fight, not an ambush.”

“Sounds civil.” She sat on the bed and tried for a winning smile as she nudged Elayn. “Well, whoever it was, maybe it was a mistake, and you'll have a second chance at a real fight.”

Elayn started to look hopeful. “Do you think? Maybe.” She looped an arm over Serana's shoulders and pulled her close for a kiss before she stood up. “You get some sleep, I'm going to find some food before I hit the pile.”

“You enjoy that,” Serana said, or tried to say, as a yawn ripped through her jaws before she could complete the sentence.

“Sleep well, my dark beauty.”

* * *

As it happened, it was soon to be dawn, so the innkeep’s daughter was just heating up a big cauldron of pottage for the guests who would soon be waking. The bowl she handed Elayn was still half cold, but she was too hungry to find it in her to complain as she sat at the bar to dig in.

When she was finished, she pushed her bowl forward for the girl behind the bar to collect. “Thanks,” she said, trying to be friendly. “Was good.”

Despite her single-syllable grunting, the girl's face flushed with pleasure. “I've been making it long enough,” she said. “It ought to be decent.”

Oh good, she spoke English. Elayn tipped her head, then looked at the door while silence hung between them. The girl went back to her chores, and Elayn watched her from the corner of her eye while she watched the rest of the inn. The kid was young, maybe seventeen or eighteen, and it seemed to Elayn that her mother should be the one handling the early morning chores. It didn't seem polite to ask about that.

“Heard any interesting stories?” she asked, out of some foreign need to fill the silence. Forsaken moon, she spent too much time traveling with company if she didn't still appreciate the beauty of silence.

Fortunately, the girl didn't feel the need to drag out her awkwardness. “My father runs the inn, of course I have interesting stories.”

Elayn could appreciate her frankness. It seemed that this girl might know something. “What about wolves?”

Suddenly the girl's boldness fled, and the color when out of her face. “Oh. Those stories.”

Before she could get the wrong idea, Elayn hurried to say, “My traveling companion and I almost got attacked on our way in. I managed to scare them off, but it was a close thing.”

“You're lucky,” the girl said with a shudder. “We've found many a skeleton left by those wolves, not many people come through these days. The beasts have even started attacking in the day.”

It wasn't hard for Elayn to school her expression into one of shock, mostly because she was actually quite shocked. Werewolves didn't normally hunt humans, out of the respect for the fact that humans were quite destructive in mobs, so it was best not to be the thing in the night they feared. Luckily, there were plenty of other things in the dark for the humans to fear.

But hunting in the daytime? They were begging to be destroyed, if not by the humans then by other packs who saw them as a threat. Werewolf packs didn't always get along well, but when they cooperated, they could move mountains.

Her shock looked real enough that the girl hurried to assure her, “But don't worry, the king will send men soon to deal with the vicious beasts, and we'll be quite safe again. I'm sure if you leave in the daytime tomorrow you'll be fine.”

“Actually,” Elayn said slowly. “I think we'll be staying a little while longer than that.”


	2. Chapter 2

Serana woke gently to the feeling of Elayn's arms wrapped around her, surrounding her in warmth and a wonderfully familiar scent in her nose. Hers wasn't as keen as a werewolf's, but it was enough that she used it. She shifted closer into Elayn's embrace, quite content to enjoy herself for the time being.

But it wasn't long before her werewolf stirred, a few limbs twitching to warn Serana so she could turn around and watch as Elayn's eyes, a soft, almost grey silver, fluttered open.

“Good morning my love,” Serana murmured, and leaned forward for a sleepy kiss.

The two of them parted without any haste, and when they did, Salem had made himself comfortable in the corner of the room, a well of shadow without light bright enough to cast it.

“I spoke with someone last night,” Elayn said as she tugged on her trousers. She repeated the story the innkeep's daughter had told her, and said when she finished, “I think there's something strange going on around here.”

_ So it seems _ , Salem said.  _ What are we to do about it? _

“Well,” Elayn said, looking at Serana, who was brushing her hair with a boar bristle brush. “I'd like to stay and see if we can't sort all this out. I'd hate to see a pack wiped out, and that's what will happen if this goes on. We keep our own in line.”

Serana gave her a look that had nothing to do with what she said next. “I told you before, we'll stay if that's what you want. Honestly, at this point I'm curious to see what happens.”

Curiosity, that was it. And maybe she'd learn a little more about her werewolf's past. Elayn didn't talk much about where she had come from, beyond stories from her travels, but she never said anything about the pack Serana assumed she had been born in. There were her parents, and the horrible way they treated her, but shouldn't the pack have protected her from that?

“Then that's that,” Elayn said, looking determined. “Tonight we'll see if we can find the pack, and see if they can answer our questions.”

* * *

The inn wasn't quite full of people when the two snuck out, but there were enough that no one paid much attention to the quiet pair whose footsteps were followed by a shadow. Any inn at dinner time was usually energetic, but there was a pall over this crowd. Elayn knew it likely had to do with the danger lurking around the rather nice town. She would do what she could to see these people's lives go back to relative calm and quiet.

Once they were well away from any onlookers, Elayn shifted to her four legged shape. The other one, the twisted one, had just as good of a nose, but it had one unfortunate downside; that form was entirely too distracted by the thought of bloodlust. Elayn didn't use it much.

Her nose picked up… well, quite a lot of scents, but it wasn't hard at all to scent out multiple wolves around the outskirts of the town, scents that were sometimes fresh and sometimes old. She would follow one, and it would become another, and she had to start all over again. Finally, when the moon was high in the sky, she picked up a trail that seemed to lead somewhere.

That somewhere was a clearing a couple miles from the town, but before Elayn broke through the trees, she skidded to a halt as her ears caught the sounds of someone talking while someone-- or something-- else growled. The talker sounded calm, collected, while the growling grew in strength.

Elayn turned to Serana at her side and lifted a paw, then deliberately set it back down again. It was a signal for her to wait, one she received with a nod, while Elayn crept closer to the edge of the clearing. From the safety of a thicket, she watched as a broad man with a full, red beard faced against two wolves. As the man took a step back, the wolves stepped forward, and all the while he spoke to them.

“Alain, Henri,” he cajoled, hands held in front of him palms-forward. “You know me.”

The growling did not subside from one wolf, while the other broke his just long enough to snap teeth at the outstretched hands.

“Do not make me fight you, my brothers.”

It seemed as though a confrontation was inevitable, and that the man knew these wolves-- knew them well, if the commanding tone he used was any indicator. Perhaps he would be able to answer some questions about what had been happening in the region.

“Rush them,” Serana said in an almost sub-audible whisper, suddenly crouched beside Elayn. “They won't expect my magic.”

It was a plan they'd used before, with success, though not against werewolves skilled at pack tactics. Of course, there only seemed to be two there, they could take them. Without any further hesitation, Elayn rushed soundlessly from the thicket, and charged the werewolf closest to her.

Before she hit the wolf, she saw the red-bearded man's silver eyes go wide.

Of course, after she hit, she was too busy to notice much but the wolf in her jaws. Since neither of them were paying attention to anything but the red-bearded man, they didn't notice her entrance until her teeth met fur and flesh. She was that fast. She shook her head sharply once before the other wolf was upon her, knocking her away.

Elayn had meant to break the first one's neck, but when she regained her feet, she was still facing two wolves snarling aggressively. She returned in kind, and they started circling, one going clockwise while the other went counter. They meant to attack her from both sides. She tracked one, ignoring the other.

Lucky neither wolf knew about her mistress hiding in the bushes. They were too focused upon their prey to listen to their senses. While Elayn's skin crawled to let her enemy at her back, the ill feeling subsided quickly when the wolf behind her let out a yelp, and she smelled the strange sickly sweet smell that was Serana's necromantic magic.

When his ally fell, the wolf in front of Elayn broke his circling and ran at her, rather than doing the wise thing of retreating. What was wrong with these wolves? She had no time to consider it deeply as she slid to one side and sunk her fangs into the hind leg of her attacker as he went by, severing the tendon there. The wolf yelped and spun in an ungainly fashion, now supported by only three legs. It was an easy matter of finishing him off from there, but before Elayn could move to, the wolf was engulfed in unearthly fire, and fell to the ground without a sound.

Serana and Elayn had little time to recover before the werewolf they had saved-- and he was a werewolf, she could smell the fact as he got close-- approached. “I wish you had not killed them,” he said, accent not thick enough to hide the sorrow in his voice. “But I do not think there was another choice.”


	3. Chapter 3

The red-bearded man was surprisingly familiar, Serana thought, for someone who she was certain had never crossed her path before. She watched as he waited politely for Elayn to change back into her human shape, trying to nail down the resemblance.

There was their clothes, which Elayn fortunately retained between shapes. Ragged trousers and a vest that showed his arms was remarkably similar to the clothes Elayn usually wore, armor only serving to slow her down, as she once said. Neither of them wore shoes either.

Then there were the eyes, silver that was unnaturally bright in the dark. But his nose was broad and straight where Elayn's was thin and crooked, the skin around his mouth crinkled whereas Elayn-- it wasn't that she was a particularly unhappy person, she just didn't make it a habit of cheerful expressions. Serana considered it a personal accomplishment to get her to smile, and she was happy to say that during their travels it was an expression she saw more frequently. But something about the man told her he was no stranger to cheer, even while he was now solemn over the deaths of the werewolves.

“Those were your wolves?” Elayn asked when she could, still standing between Serana and the werewolf.

He nodded, the motion slow and deep. “They were, before the Monster came. Now my wolves do not listen, and I am alone.” His eyes narrowed. “You sound strange, you are not from here?”

“Something like that. Alpha, ey? ” Even though Serana couldn't see her face, she could hear the flatness in Elayn's voice. “What's this ‘Monster’? And how did an alpha lose control of his wolves?”

She couldn't see Elayn's face, but she could see his, and he looked irritated. Then, scared, as he looked around. “We should not talk here. Follow me.”

Serana heard a growl start in Elayn's chest and put a hand on her shoulder. She didn't like being told what to do. Serana understood. “If you'll help us figure out what's going on, we'd be happy to come with you.”

Funny that she hadn't noticed how the werewolf hadn't been looking at her until now, but she realized it as soon as he finally did and revulsion curled his lip before he jerked his eyes away, nodded, and waved his hand as he walked into the trees.

Serana kept her will summoned and her hand flickering with magic as he led them. Elayn was just as watchful, though she had no weapons but her hands. The forest was dark, though that posed no issue for their senses. It was more that the darkness had an oppressive feeling, like someone glaring at the back of one's head. There were few things that threatened one of her kind, but Serana had a good idea of what kind of damage a skilled werewolf could do to a vampire. It was a good thing that the wolves they'd met so far seemed too maddened to fight with any sense of tactics, which made them manageable. But that was one or two. What if they came across the rest of the pack?

Serana shivered. Elayn put an arm over her shoulder while they walked and pulled her close for a second before releasing her so there was no falter to their gait. She was glad their bond meant she didn't have to voice anything the werewolf guiding them might hear. The comfort was nice.

Speaking of the werewolf…

“So what do we call you?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

There was a pause before he answered. “Claude,” he said. “Alpha of the Rivière D'argent pack. And you?”

“Serana.”

“Elayn. No pack.”

He tossed a curious look over his shoulder before he looked on ahead at his path. “We should be quiet until we reach safety,” he cautioned. “I do not want to kill more of my brothers tonight.”

So they were silent as Claude led them along game trails until they reached a stream. When he splashed in, Serana was loathe to follow, until Elayn went in after him.

“It'll hide our scent,” she explained, and Serana couldn't argue.

The source of the water, she found, was a cave with a mouth that was almost horizontal instead of vertical, that spilled a two foot wide stream of water. On the sides of the stream was sand. Claude went down, Elayn went after, and Serana followed and discovered that the sand stretched into a bank hidden by an overhang of rock. It was quite a serviceable shelter, unless…

“What do you do if it rains?” Serana asked, and against the rock wall with her legs folded under her.

Claude sprawled on the sandy floor. “Then I find somewhere else to sleep. This spring has been quite dry, I have been fine so far.”

* * *

While Serana sat, Elayn stayed stood where the lip of the cave kept her hidden. Claude of the Silver River pack was acting strange. He was too relaxed for someone whose pack was taken by something even a werewolf was scared enough of to call “Monster”. It had her on edge, to be around an alpha. The last one had--

No, she was too old to be afraid of a childhood threat. She had grown formidable enough that the alpha who led the park she was born to would think twice before he tried to shove her around.

To cover the unease she knew Serana could sense and he could likely smell, she folded her arms and fixed Claude with a steely look. “We're here,” she said. “You've got some explaining to do.”

The alpha craned his neck to look at her, then was up in a crouch and spun around to face her all in a blur. He grinned at her, and while he looked to be in his 40s(forties?), the expression gave him a youthful, mischievous look that was not helping Elayn's temper. “You're trying to order me around? You've got some nerves, pup. Why should I explain anything to you?”

_ Because they are likely the only help you'll have in taking back your pack without decimating them. _

Purple eyes blinked within the shadows of the shallow inner part of the cave and Claude jumped like a frog on a hot skillet, swiftly putting his back to the wall with his hands raised to fight.

Elayn couldn't help a snort. Could you really fight a shadow?

The red-bearded werewolf spat out a furious flurry of French-- profanity, if Elayn's ear was any good. It had been such a long time since she had visited France. “What is that?” he asked in English, glaring from the shadows, to Elayn, and back.

“A shadow spirit,” she said, holding back a smirk.

_ I prefer Salem. Shadow spirit has such a nasty connotation. People confuse me with the Dark Men that haunt children's bedroom corners in the night. _

Claude scrubbed a hand over his face. “Mère de Dieu. A shadow spirit. I apologize for my rudeness.”

Elayn blinked at him.

_ Some people have respect for their elders, you know _ .

“I respect you plenty,” Elayn muttered. “I just won't kiss your--”

“Anyway,” Serana said, not loudly but firmly. “There is something strange going on in this region, with your--” She nodded at Claude. “-- pack. If you share what you know, maybe we could help you fix whatever's wrong.”

The werewolf gave her an appraising look, one that made Elayn want to growl at him. “Maybe so. Settle in, both-- all of you. Do you believe in your mythology?”

“I read a lot of it as a child,” Serana admitted. “But what does that have to do with--”

“Shh,” Claude interrupted, and Serana huffed. “You can't hurry a good story.”

“Then make it good,” Elayn muttered, shrugging when Serana shot her a quelling look.

The alpha didn't seem to mind, just slid down the wall to sit cross-legged on the sand. “The world is a funny thing, no? Magic makes many a strange beast, and we ourselves are excellent proof.”

“But where do we come from, hm?” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and lips nearly touching his hands, that were pressed together in front of his face. “What are our roots? Humans ask such things, I certainly did when I was a true man. Such has not changed, though much else had.”

He'd been human? Elayn had to blink in shock. That he had been human born and still became an alpha of a pack was testament to his strength. But if he was so strong, why was he playing these games with them?

Some of her consternation must have shown in her eyes because the alpha laughed. “Humor an old man, will you? I'll make my point in time.”

“So we must come from somewhere. But where? I've spoken with different packs and we all have our own stories, but mine-- mine is true. I know it. And it is the only and best proof that we werewolves are monsters.”

Elayn could hide her cringe, but she couldn't hide from the bond. She could feel Serana's golden gaze burn a hole in the side of her head, but she couldn't meet her eyes. Not yet. 

Luckily, Claude chose to go on rather than notice anything. “The monster came with the full moon. My pack and I, we hunted under Her gaze, and while we rejoiced, the moon went red. My brothers began to lose themselves beyond any rage I have ever seen in a werewolf, and I have seen much of that in our kind. And while I fought to control them, to keep them from killing me, he came.”

Any of that strange cheer Elayn had noticed earlier was gone. Before her was a man haunted, eyes hollow as he went on. “The Monster, he fell on my pack in a rage, killing indiscriminately. I escaped, as did others, but they did not regain themselves, and I have only managed to live this long because my brothers are too far-gone to be effective hunters.”

* * *

Now that it was gone, Serana could see why this werewolf had been so cheerful. It had seemed odd, strange, but now she knew, it had been forced. As Claude told them what had become of his pack… only so many emotions could mask that pain. It seemed he was the type to hide behind a laugh, rather than to harden. That was better, she thought, than letting life turn you to stone.

A terrible silence fell when the werewolf finished his story. Elayn, who she knew had been avoiding looking at her, now met her eyes as they shared a frown. Of course they were going to stay and try to help, but…

If what caused the pack in the region to go mad was powerful enough to slaughter them wholesale, what chance did they stand?

_ Well _ , Salem said, walking out of the shadows with his tail twitching.  _ That certainly explains a lot. Tell me, werewolf, what did mythology have to do with your tale? _

Claude regarded him somberly. “That Monster is the Father, our progenitor. Only he would have such control over my wolves. Only he could turn the moon red.”

The spirit paced.  _ Of course. I have heard many pack stories told around campfires with the shadows at their backs. The Father is one of the few tales that raises hairs among even the staunchest wolves. _

They looked at Elayn, then Serana.  _ You might consider Italy. I've heard it's lovely this time of year. _

“We're not going to leave things like this,” Elayn snapped. “And I've never heard these stories you both are talking about.”

Purple eyes blinked, but it was Claude who said, “You said you were of no pack, of course you would not have heard them.”

She glared at the red-bearded werewolf, then looked away. “That isn't… entirely the case. Not for my entire life. But the pack I was in when I was young never told stories, not that I heard.”

Claude frowned at her. “What pack was that? The stories are key to keeping the history of our kind.”

“My pack didn't care much about history,” Elayn muttered, then said louder, “It's not important. What do we do about this Monster? Don't the stories have any wisdoms you could add?” she asked derisively.

“Elayn,” Serana said quietly, and she scowled. 

Claude just shook his head. “He has never been killed, only escaped, and that is by few. Your spirit may be right about Italy.”

"And what about you?” Serana asked.

He smiled, wearily. “I will stay, and die with my pack. It's what is right.”

Without warning, Elayn jolted to her feet and jumped out of the cave, to run off and leave Serana behind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit to my friend Ty for writing the myth here, it's absolutely brilliant!

Elayn ran, and while she ran she thought furiously, as though she were being chased by the fragments of memory and what was running through her mind at present. The pack, the Monster, this red-bearded alpha, all of it was becoming uncomfortably close to her past. And she had worked hard to leave her past and pack behind.

It was stupid to run from shelter, but the sun would be up soon. It meant Serana wouldn't be able to come after her, which she felt glad for, even though it made her feel terrible to acknowledge it. The bond between them let her know that her mate was shocked and worried, and while it was nice to have that comfort, it wasn't enough to quell the racing in her mind.

They would have to leave, plain and simple. It was horrible of her to leave the humans to fend for themselves, but the Monster couldn't stay in the same region forever, right? They would be fine, as humans always were.

Screaming, fire, blood, images flashed at her like the first rays of the sun peeking over the horizon. No, they would not be fine, and she was too much a coward to try and do something about it.

While ordinarily Elayn was quite dexterous, her state of mind took a toll on her nimbleness, and without warning her foot caught a root and sent her tumbling down the hill. Eventually she came to a halt, sprawled on her back, on what hard enough to be a road. And there was someone up the way whistling.

The whistling got closer as Elayn laid there, somewhat stunned, and she was still lying there when a face suddenly appeared above her, wizened and grey and covered by a long, grey beard.

“Goodness me,” he said, and his accent was too vague to place. “Are you alright?”

“I'll be fine, grandfather,” she said, tempering her tongue so she didn't inflict her distemper on needless victims.

“Grandfather, ey?” He looked solemn. “I'm no one's grandfather, old as I might be. If I were your grandfather, I'd tell you that you'll catch your death of cold lying on the ground like that.”

“It's spring, not that cold,” she rejoined, and sat up. “This road isn't safe to be traveling alone even for a young man. I'll walk with you a while.”

He seemed amused, but didn't smile. It was in his eyes. “How gracious. What kind of dangers would this road pose to an old man like me?”

She scoffed. “Besides the bandits? There's wolves out here that would love to make a meal of you.”

“Wolves.” He nodded as they started walking, and stroked his beard. “I know a thing or two about wolves. I've survived this long, after all.”

“These wolves aren't your average wolf,” Elayn said, unsure of how much she wanted to tell a complete stranger.

“Oh I'm sure, they're never ordinary wolves. Always bigger than a man, rabid, man-eating.” The old man chuckled and shook his head. “I've heard the tales before.”

“This isn't a tale,” she said, growing irritated. “But believe what you will.”

They walked on for a while before the old man spoke again. “You seem under such t terrible strain for someone so young. Are the wolves the cause of your troubles? Or something else?”

“If I say wolves will you leave it be?”

The old man raised an eyebrow at her.

Chastened, Elayn sighed and said, “The wolves vex me most strongly now, but I have many other troubles to shoulder besides them.”

“That is the curse of life, is it not?”

“So it is.”

They walked in silence again for a while. “How about a story?” the old man asked out of nowhere, just when Elayn had managed to gain control of her thoughts and just enjoy the walk. “About wolves, since you seem so concerned about them.”

“I'm not--”

“We begin,” he interrupted. “In a great stone castle.”

* * *

_ A great stone castle rose over what would become a deep and ancient forest. In the days before even fairies, those old oaks had just recently been saplings, and the grassy hills were grazed upon by the flocks of King Lycaon. The man was like two in height and two abreast, a mighty warrior who carved out his land with title and with sword. Guests of his household craned their necks and looked up into black pupils under a storm-cloud brow; servants did not look at him, only listened. His hair had long since faded into the grey of his fortress, his jaw unshaven and more akin to the forest's undergrowth, yet his strength would not leave him for years more, if not decades. He inspired wonder and fear in subject and foreigner alike. Taxes were paid on time. _

_ His sons were many: a score, then a score more, then half a score further, from three-and-thirty wives and concubines. The eldest boys had long since become men and warred their way north, east, west, and south. The youngest, smiling Nyctimus, had just grasped a real sword for the first time, iron shining his reflection back at him unlike the wooden playthings of the childhood hillsides. Lovingly, he doted on his father, much more a servant than an heir, and though the king had many heirs, the son's behavior became a nagging weight upon the man's shoulders. _

_ While the moon waxed full one night, Nyctimus fetched his father's wine at the dinner table. The heady smells of drink and mutton hung in the air of the great hall, and Nyctimus pushed past many a welcomed and unwelcomed reveler. His shirt soaked with wine, he delivered a half-full goblet to his father who, as soon as he judged the weight, dashed the cup upon the tilestones. _

_ "Neither a prince nor a cupbearer!" bemoaned Lycaon. The statue of a man was quick to raise his voice when he had gorged himself on wine or mead. "Was the mother's milk spoiled? Was I, his father, too lenient with the rod? A child should respect his father, it is true, but when does the son have nothing better to do? No interests of war or game to keep him? No love for celebration and drink? Young though he may be, I find no reason to pay him mind among his brothers except for his position of most youthful, a title he might soon lose if I lose myself to another full cup!" With this, he roared with laughter, and those near him at the table laughed with him, however truly or falsely they agreed. _

_ It was at this same feast that, among all the warriors and princes, a beggar had been invited by one of the throng. At least, it was assumed he was a beggar, for he carried nothing on his person, naught but a poor walking stick of unhewn wood and the tattered clothes on his back. His face was surprisingly clean-shaven, as if nothing would grow upon it, though his face was wrinkled like a seal's, and his ragged hair was the grey of that animal's hide. He was a curiosity for his appearance and an entertainment for his trade, which he said was soothsaying. _

_ "My death!" one man would shout from the crowd. "Mine next, grandfather!" _

_ "No, mine, wise soothsayer!" chortled another. "When will I meet my end?" _

_ "A geezer from down the road traced the lines in my palm and told me I would drown in mead. I have been trying to prove her abilities for the past seven years! Will you give me the same, grandfather?" _

_ The beggar harrumphed and shifted on his low, wooden stool. "Mead will not be your downfall, but the company you keep." _ __

_ "Hear that? I am not long for this world, for I am surrounded by my friends! Dear friends, good company of mine, I will prove both fortunes true! Pass me the tankard!" _ __

_ Escaping his father's laughter for none too dissimilar, Nyctimus pushed his way to the soothsayer's side. "Grandfather, what can you tell me of my future?" he asked, eyes wide with innocent amazement. "Will I be a great soldier, or a wise ruler, or a many-blessed patriarch?" _ __

_ The beggar grimaced, the wrinkles in his face twisting like the curves of a hundred streams. "I beg a different question of you, my boy." _ __

_ "Then I ask you of the future of this kingdom. Will war come to it soon, or shall the peace endure for another generation? Will my father's rule continue strong?" _ __

_ The beggar groaned at this. "Again, I beg a different question of you, my boy." _ __

_ At not just one but two denials, the men scoffed. "What is this? Is there a gap in your omens, grandfather? Has your god of prophecy cut out his tongue, or has your crystal ball darkened?" _ __

_ "Grandfather," Nyctimus pressed, "Then may I ask—" _ __

_ "Soothsayer!" rang Lycaon's cry from the other end of the hall. "Word has reached my ears by chain of gossip rather than by introduction! Come hither and rectify this mistake!" _ __

_ The beggar slowly rose to his feet, an old man still. He hobbled to the head of the table to stand by the king's side, leaning on his stick. He neither bowed nor kneeled, but the king was blinded by the haze of the drink. _ __

_ "Well, grandfather, they say you have been predicting deaths!" said Lycaon. _ __

_ "Mortal men care for little else, Your Grace," came the reply. The beggar continued, "Men are either so short-sighted as to only see the next meal or so far-sighted as to see only their death, and nothing in between the two would matter." _ __

_ "Yes, yes, grandfather. Have you come to this party to tell the world my death?" _ __

_ "Your Grace, I will tell your death if you ask it." _ __

_ "I do not!" So quickly the Lycaon's temper changed at the mere suggestion of his death by another man. "I ask nothing of the sort! Tell me of those things of which the others did not think to ask. Will my fields grow tall?" _ __

_ "Your fields will go unplowed." _ __

_ The king's mood soured further. "Will my flocks be fat?" _ __

_ "Wolves will gnaw at their bones." _ __

_ The king brought both fists down on the table, cracking the wood. "Will my coffers fill with gold?" _ __

_ "They will empty within the fortnight." _ __

_ The king rose from his chair, towering over the beggar. "Will my sons overthrow their own father? Will my wives slit my throat in my own bed? Will my allies conspire together in my own house?" _ __

_ "The answer to all three is that they shall not." _ __

_ The king bellowed, and none could tell his anger from his mirth, for half the room thought him laughing at a sick joke, and the other half thought him ready to tear the limbs from the old beggar. Lycaon downed another goblet, and another, within the span of a minute, as the soothsayer stared dispassionately at the ever-reddening face of his host. _ __

_ "Grandfather, your knowledge reaches far!" continued Lycaon at last, purple dribbling from the corners of his mouth. "Be my guest through the night, as the feast continues, as I would question you later, question you further." The beggar stayed in the house of Lycaon, though the old man retreated back to his stool at the far end of the hall. _ __

_ He would not stay upon that stool for long, for finally did another course arrive for all the people to enjoy. As quickly as the mutton had been devoured, as rapidly as the wine had been drunk, this stew was passed around and gulped down, though the king had saved a bowl for the old beggar, who was summoned to the king's side once more. _ __

_ "Partake, grandfather! Eat your fill! Your thin arms and bony legs demand it!" _ __

_ "Your Grace, I have eaten my fill of mutton, and this old stomach needs less than it once did. _

_ Nonsense!" roared the king. He pushed the bowl toward the beggar, and his teeth were like tombstones in his mocking smile. "Do your powers show you above a chamberpot or as drunk as the rest of us? Do you see in the flight of birds how you will awaken, as a child awakens or with the pain that balances the joy of the night before in equal measure? Eat, and drink, and show me that I am a generous host!" _ __

_ "Where is your son, Your Grace?" _ __

_ "I have many sons, spread out across this land!" said the king, still smiling, as if he were continuing some great joke. _ __

_ "Nyctimus is his name, and I did not give him his fate, which he requested of me." _ __

_ "A true soothsayer would know where he is! Where is your omniscience, grandfather? Will you find it in your stew?" laughed Lycaon. _ __

_ Finally, the beggar stood, and he struck his walking stick on the tilestones, and a cold chill spread through the room, as if the torches were bearers of frost rather than soot, and all the room was silent to hear him. "King Lycaon! You have made yourself a monster, and you have made monsters out of all those present! You would devour your son, Nyctimus, who loved his father! You would mock my power as you mock the role of a host! As you would devour your son, and as you have devoured other kingdoms, let you devour your own country! Let your ravenous hunger never be satiated, and let it make you nothing but a misery on your fellow man! Let your sons suffer this curse, let your allies suffer this curse, but let you suffer it the greatest of them all, forever to walk the earth in hunger!" _ __

_ The beggar struck the dining table of the great hall, and it split asunder, and King Lycaon threw up his hands to his head. He rushed toward the doors of his fortress, swatting aside all those in his way as a child among dolls. He sprinted into his own fields, at first own two legs, but then on four. He ripped the limbs from his flocks, carved through their wool and into their flesh, not with any sword or knife, but with the cruel and glinting claws into which his hands had morphed. Under the yellow light of the full moon, Lycaon was red with sheep's blood, and he tasted not the raw mutton but the flesh of his own son. _ __

_ In the fortress, a hundred men fell to their knees as their mouths lengthened into snouts, and their legs bent backwards like those of dogs. They howled and joined Lycaon in razing his kingdom, as Lycaon's sons, miles away, shifted as well, and ran off, hiding themselves in shame and fearful bewilderment. Lycaon batted away all those who came close, and many of his compatriots died at his own claws, until he finally ran off into the forest. _ __

_ T _ _ he old beggar sat down at the head of the table, in the king's own chair, and heaved a heavy sigh through the cold hall. The servants fled in terror, and the fortress soon emptied. Come morning, the beggar took up his staff again and set off down the road, passing the bloody fields of Lycaon's kingdom. _


	5. Chapter 5

“What,” Elayn said through gritted teeth, breaking the silence that followed after such a grim story. “Does that have to do with anything?”

“We were discussing wolves, were we not?” The old man sniffed. “It's not my fault if you didn't appreciate it.”

Appreciate it? How had this old coot managed to tell a hair-raising tale that was so close to the troubles currently facing her? If he wasn't old she would fight him just to return the strain.

The old man looked at her face, then on ahead at the road. “Ah, you didn't appreciate it.”

“I might have liked it more if it didn't end so poorly,” she said, after thinking about it for a moment. “What about the old man? How did he do that? I get why, but not how.”

The old man's eyes twinkled. “There's many mysteries in this world, you'll just have to settle for that being one of them.”

She grunted. Useful.

From here Elayn could hear the sound of the town the werewolves had been plaguing. “I'll leave you here,” she told him. “You should be safe.”

“Child, I appreciate your worry, but let me assure you it is misplaced.” He laughed and started toward the town. A noise in the bushes distracted Elayn for a moment, and when she looked back, there was no trace of him but the faint smell of ozone.

* * *

When Elayn came back, it woke Serana, and she was alert and standing out of reach of the sun with her arms crossed when her werewolf jumped into the cave.

She was angry with Elayn for running off like she had, when she knew these woods were full of danger even in daylight. And she was angry that instead of staying and letting her help, Elayn had just run.

But mostly she was relieved to see her unharmed. And when she revealed in her hands the body of a rabbit she had caught, Serana couldn't help letting a wave of love through their bond, washing away her anger. When Elayn handed her the rabbit, Serana cast it aside and pulled her close for a desperate kiss. They parted sooner than she would have liked, and only because of their company.

Said company was lounging against the wall with his arms behind his back and a smirk on his face. “Please, don't mind me.”

“Charming,” she said, arching her brow, and he had the decency to look chastened.

When she looked back to Elayn, her werewolf's shoulders were less tense than when she had left, which seemed like a good sign. “I had an idea on my way back,” she said. “Serana, do you think you could make a poison from the plants around here?”

Serana blinked. “Well, yes, I suppose I could. But do you think the Monster would even be felled by poison?”

“We've got to try, don't we?”

She had to concede that. “I'll go looking tonight.”

“Not without me,” Elayn said, both fast and firm.

Serana pinned her with a look. “So it's alright for you to run around in the forest, but I'm completely defenseless.”

“Er…” Elayn looked to Salem.

_ Don't think I'm going to save you here. _

“Bastard,” she muttered, then looked back to Serana, eyes wide. “Look, werewolves are supposed to be reckless and take care of their mates. Let me be me.”

She couldn't keep a smile from pulling at her lips. “Fine, in this situation, I can't blame you.”

_ I should be able to help you search, and I might serve as some protection in case the wolves find you.  _ Salem licked a paw and drew it over their ear.

“Will that do?” she asked Elayn with a teasing smile.

Her response was to lean forward and kiss Serana again.

* * *

They slept the rest of the day away, and when Elayn woke, Serana and Salem were already gone. The rabbit Elayn had brought was drained and discarded well away from the cave to keep from attracting predators. Since she'd also hunted for herself before returning the morning before, she didn't feel the need to go out again. The only trouble was the alpha sitting against the cave wall, rhythmically tapping the back of his head against the rock.

“Would you stop that?” Elayn snapped after a while.

“Am I bothering you?” He didn't sound very sorry about it. “I've spent nearly a fortnight in this cave. I grow bored.”

She threw her arm out, gesturing to the cave mouth. “Then go, entertain yourself.”

“And draw the hunt to me? I would rather live than entertain myself that way, thank you.”

She snarled wordlessly, and went back to glaring out at the dark sky.

A tense silence followed, broken only after a while when Claude asked, “What, exactly, is your problem with me, Elayn? I do not think I have done anything to deserve it.”

He wasn't wrong, but she didn't want to admit that. Instead, she grunted and kept looking out of the cave.

“Articulate.”

She shot a glare at him. “You're not improving my opinion of you.”

He gestured to his chest with a widespread hand. “Moi? Do I not have the right to ask why?”

Silence would have been far preferable to this conversation, but Elayn didn't think she had a choice. Alphas were tenacious bastards. “I do not like werewolves.”

He let out a surprised laugh. “A self-hating werewolf? Now I've seen everything. What has your own kind done to earn your ire for the entirety of them?”

She pulled her legs up to wrap her arms around her calves and thighs, and rested her chin on her knee. “Everything. I've no respect for the pack and the way it holds together through subjugating the weak. The powerful throw their weight around and answer challenge with blood. You weren't far off when you described your pack turning on you-- we are descended from monstrosity, and it seems too easy for us to slide back into it. What liking should I have for that?”

She hadn't meant to say that much, and the silence that stretched on after her last words was far from comfortable as Claude mulled over what she had said. She didn't look at him, just kept staring ahead, and when she sensed mounting anger from the alpha sitting too close to her for comfort had her feet itching to run.

“I do not know,” he began, and she could hear his clenched teeth. “Where you were given this impression of your own kind--”

“Germany,” she snapped. “That's where.”

“-- but I cannot imagine the kind of alpha that would let their wolves behave as such.”

Shocked, her head whipped around so she could stare at him, before she could think better of it. He looked furious, yes, but-- not at her? That was strange.

“That is… How my pack operated,” she said. “I haven't spent much more time near a pack since I left.”

He spat, leaving a dark mark in the sand. “Of course you wouldn't. I have heard of alphas who abuse their authority, yes, but I had not heard of one in Europe. If I had known, I and several others would have gathered to end them.”

Speechless, she could only stare at him while her mind reeled with the new knowledge she had been given. “We were in the mountains, we never saw other packs,” she blurted out.

“If you had, your alpha would not have been allowed to continue on.” Claude looked at her firmly. “It is the privilege of the dominant to protect those weaker than them, and the gift of the weak to care for the strong in ways only those without physical might could. That is how a pack operates. That you were given such an experience…”

He sighed, looking down. “It shames me, on behalf of my own kind.”

No one had ever said-- she hadn't thought-- Elayn could only sit in shock as the strength of this revelation bore down on her. She knew the desire to defend the weak, but thought it was just an oddity of hers, another testament to her strangeness that made her so easily targeted in her childhood pack.

For it to be a natural thing, something most of her kind would laud, it was… Shocking. That was the only word she could think of.

Claude stood suddenly. “I think,” he said gravely. “I will go hunt. We will need bait for this poison idea to work, and I think you need time to… consider things.

“But--”

He waved her arguments away before they could begin. “I still know a few tricks these puppies won't think of. Stay, I'll be back.”

So there she sat, watching him go, seriously rethinking several “truths” she had lived by.


	6. Chapter 6

When Serana returned with Salem and a satchel of useful herbs and roots, Elayn was staring off into space and didn't notice she was there until she was nearly two feet from her. Serana could tell because she jumped about a foot in the air when Serana cleared her throat.

“Oh, hey,” she said when she recovered, rubbing the back of her neck. “I didn't see you.”

Clearly, Serana thought with some amusement, but didn't say it out loud. The bond gave her the feeling it wouldn't get the effect she wanted. And there was something else, what it was specifically she wasn't sure, but Elayn clearly had a lot on her mind.

“Where's Claude?” she asked, glancing around.

The question brought a spike of something across the bond, but it was gone again for she could focus on it clearly. All Elayn said was, “Hunting.”

Serana hummed, and arranged her skirts so she could sit beside her werewolf. “Got something on your mind?”

Elayn grunted.

“Want to share?”

She aimed a look at Salem, who disappeared from view.

Serana frowned and turned her body to look directly at her.

Elayn sighed and dragged a hand over her face. “Just… I'm learning that the way I looked at my life, what I am, might be completely different from what I thought.”

Rather than asking for clarification, she waited for her werewolf to find her words and go on.

And Elayn knew it, from the half-fond, half-exasperated look she gave her, before she went back to frowning as she put her thoughts together.

“My pack… Did not treat the weak well,“ she said slowly, picking her words carefully. “And as a child, I was weak. It turns out that the way my pack did things was very wrong, for werewolves. Which means… I'm not fighting a legacy of violence. Not really.”

“What do you mean?” Serana asked gently.

Elayn looked at her hands, closed them into fists and opened them again to stare at her palms. “I'm not… bound to become a monster. That changes things.”

She frowned at her werewolf. “My love, I told you before, you're far from a monster.”

“But I'm even farther than I thought,” she explained. “It's not something I have to fight. The opposite, really, from what Claude told me.”

When Serana still looked confused, she smiled tiredly and reached out to cup her face. “It just means I've got some things to rethink,” she said. “But, I think, it's in a good way.”

“It'd better be,” Serana said, reaching up to put her hand over the one on her face. “Do you need to talk more?”

“I'll be fine,” Elayn said, and it sounded like something she could believe. “Now tell me what you found.”

* * *

The materials Serana had gathered were good for a soporific poison. If they packed a corpse full of it, the Monster would poison itself while it ate, hopefully making it easier to fight.

There was a lot Elayn was putting to faith. She tried not to think about it too hard.

Claude came back with the carcass of a deer with red-tinged fur. By the time he did, Serana had mixed the ingredients together as well as she was likely to manage without access to her lab. But, she assured Elayn, it should be powerful enough subdue something six times the size of Elayn's wolf form, so hopefully it would work.

The next trick was finding a good place to stage the ambush. To that end, Elayn went out with Claude's instructions to find a ravine with a sheer drop on one side, and a gentler incline on the other side. There were many trees in the ravine, and one in particular seemed big enough to hold the three of them while they waited for the Monster to show.

But how to make it appear? Claude had an idea for that.

“The Monster came while my pack sang to the moon,” he explained. “If we sing, it should be drawn to us.”

This was going to be tricky. For one thing, she and Claude would have to be in their wolf form to sing, and then change quickly to climb the tree to be out of danger when the Monster came.

“And how do we even know it will come?” she asked him.

“You'll know,” he told her gravely. “The birds will flee the trees and the moon will glow red. Then we will have to hurry.”

_ If it helps,  _ Salem added.  _ I can cloak us in shadow once we're in the tree. It shouldn't notice us then. _

By the time they had all this worked out, it was nearly dawn again, and they had to return to the cave to sleep. At least, to try to. While Serana fell unconscious as soon as the sun peeked over the trees, Elayn couldn't find the peace within herself to lie down. Even her four legged form brought no respite. So she sat as far from the others as she could, so as not to disturb them, alone with her thoughts.

Who had been that strange old man she found? And what about that story? It certainly sounded like a werewolf origin myth, so reminiscent of the situation she faced now with the Monster. Had he known what she was? And how had he disappeared so readily?

One thing she knew, she would not be able to fight the Monster. Not if it had the power to control her four legged shape. It seemed it was either the power of the alpha or a shape that protected Claude from the madness, and she hoped fervently that it was the second. But there was no way to know until the time came. That sat ill with Elayn. 


	7. Chapter 7

Night came, and Serana woke first, to find Elayn leaning against the mouth of the cave, fast asleep. She almost hated to wake her, but there was no telling how long luring and fighting the Monster would be, and they would need every moment of darkness that they had. Claude carried the deer and when they arrived at the tree in the ravine, they cut it open, scattered the offal, and stuffed it full of the herbs Serana had gathered. While Elayn and Claude sang, she climbed the tree. Salem simply flowed up it like water. There, they sat, watching the two werewolves below.

Elayn, golden even in the moonlight, tipped back her head and sounded a howl clear as glass, that sent shivers up Serana's spine. Claude, red-furred and huge, joined her, and for a moment Serana felt the song of the moon that Elayn had told her about once. It was beautiful, nearly bringing a tear to her eye.

Then the moon, a sliver in the sky, turned blood red. Birds flew from the trees to the east, calling raucous warnings.

Claude was the first one to change his form and start up the tree. Elayn was quick to follow him, but almost not quickly enough; a massive, furry shape barreled through the trees, a shadow with red eyes that skidded to a halt as it saw something. Elayn made it to a branch just below where Serana perched, and all of them held their breath as the Monster started sniffing.

Either Salem's magic was as effective as they hoped, or the Monster was quickly distracted by the carcass below the tree where they hid. Either way, it didn't start attacking the tree to get to them, and instead began devouring the deer. Elayn's hand, which gripped the branch Serana was on, clenched so tight her knuckles turned white, and Serana reached down to put her hand over hers.

The wet ripping and tearing sounds seemed to stretch on for hours. The moon, still bloody, was starting to go down in the sky when the Monster finally finished. Serana held her breath as the Monster looked left, then right, as though deciding. It took a few steps to the second direction, before its paw gave out under it, and it slid to the ground.

Elayn let go of the branch long enough to pump her first. She started to slide down the trunk of the tree, but Serana stopped her with a sharp wave of her hand. They should wait a moment, just to be sure the herbs did their job.

Several pulse-pounding moments went by, before Claude cursed and started down the tree. The others followed him quickly, to stay in the shadows of Salem's magic, and as soon as his foot touched the ground, Claude was changing shape. He stalked over to where the Monster slept, then--

And the Monster woke, fangs flashing, catching him in the shoulder.

* * *

It was funny, how time could slow to flow like molten glass just as things were going wrong. It seemed an eternity as Elayn halted her change when her eyes caught movement from the Monster, as the beast reared up and bit into Claude. It was so huge that it stood and Claude's legs dangled limply in the air. With a shake of its head, it tossed him aside, and slowly turned to Serana.

Something had been brewing in Elayn's chest from the moment the Monster came into view. It was a pressure, hot and fierce, that made her want to scream from its intensity. Intensity that pounded more fiercely with every second that passed, that surged to a boiling point when the Monster grabbed Claude. But when it turned its gaze on Serana? The pressure broke, and her head fell back as a scream tore her throat. The cry became a howl as her muscles stretched around a frame of her bones breaking and reforming into new shapes. Time grew meaningless as the red haze descended, and she only knew her enemy.

An enemy that now looked at her with contempt scrawled across its face. It roared in her direction, and Elayn felt the redness expand, until it all but eclipsed her vision.

Except… She wasn't all gone. Not like the last time. There was still a piece of her, buried deep but shining clearly, that would not be distracted. The blood called her to a frenzy, but she did not answer.

Instead, she leapt at her enemy.

This form that the Beast Master had forced her into had the strength of her four legged form and the mobility of her two legged. And she was fast, which she hadn't noticed the last time she took this shape. The Monster was too, but not quite by a hair. As she flew through the air, the Monster darted to the side, and her teeth clipped together through empty air. The Monster dove in to snap at her when she landed-- only a split second too slow, and Elayn was springing clear as soon as her clawed and distorted hands touched the ground. She took a controlled tumble that brought her back up to leap at the Monster's back, heel impacting its forehead as she jumped. She twisted when she hit, digging her claws into its fur and flesh so she could pivot and land her jaws around its neck. She bit down hard, feeling skin give way and blood rush over her tongue.

It wasn't enough. She didn't get a good grip of its spine, and so was thrown when the Monster reared up with a roar to toss her off.

When she landed, it was hard, against the trunk of a tree smaller than the one they had hidden in. The impact knocked her senseless for a moment, and in that moment the Beast rushed in on her. She threw up an arm, which it latched onto at the bicep, and screamed when it jerked its head from one side to the other. Her arm didn't come off, but just barely, and she nearly lost herself to the red again in the agony that followed. In retaliation, she swung her other arm and clawed at the Monsters face, and it released her with a bellow of pain. Red bled down its face, obscuring its vision, and it shook its head hard to clear its eyes while Elayn gathered herself for another attack. The arm it had grabbed wasn't responding, but she only needed the other, and her teeth.

She attacked again, throwing everything she had at the Monster, feeling a thrill of success when her jaws closed around the Monster's vulnerable throat. She ripped and shredded with her teeth, holding on until it fell to the ground. On top of her.

When she regained consciousness, Serana was shoving desperately at the corpse of the Monster, yelling something. “-- it Elayn, you'd better not be dead, I will kill you if you're--”

Claude, who Elayn didn't notice until he spoke, approached. “If you give me a moment,” he said, sounding strained. “I can help you free her.”

Serana didn't say anything, which told Elayn how worried she was. She just couldn't do anything about it, too stunned from the pain wracking her body. Eventually the two of them managed to haul the incredibly heavy carcass off her, and she finally sucked in a lung full of breath.

“Oh thank the spirits,” Serana whispered, falling to her knees to pull Elayn's twisted form into her arms.

She found enough strength in herself to grunt in pain, and Claude said, “Carefully. We heal fast, but not that fast. What in heaven's name is she?”

“I'll explain later,” Serana told her. “We need to get her somewhere safe.”

Claude was explaining the way to his pack's den, then he leaned down and hauled Elayn over his shoulders, and the pain made her slide into blackness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter, it's pretty much a wrap-up. I've had a lot of fun writing this so I hope you've enjoyed reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Serana was out of distractions. The room she was in-- courtesy of Claude, who's returning wolves had been so few in number that their den’s many rooms remained largely vacant, as all of them preferred to stay near each other and away from strangers-- she had tidied to perfection. It was remarkably well-furnished, Elayn had given her the impression werewolves slept on pelts on the floor, not under them in a wool-stuffed bed. Her skirts, she had picked of all loose threads. Her books, the few she had rescued from the castle, she had read a hundred times.

And Elayn still wasn't awake.

If she would only wake up and shift, she could speed her recovery along, but werewolves only healed so fast without using the magic of their kind. So they waited, Serana only leaving to hunt as quickly as she could so she could come back to Elayn's side.

Claude, who had seen many an injury, kept assuring her when he stopped by that werewolves were more resilient than a human, that her sleep meant that she was reserving her energy to heal. It didn't help.

Sitting in a chair by her bed, Serana leaned over her werewolf and gripped the hand that laid by her side, clenching her eyes shut. “I swear, Elayn,” she whispered. “If you don't wake up I'll--”

“You'll what?”

The croaked question startled Serana, whose eyes flew open to see Elayn's flutter open, then stay open half-lidded. She let out a surprised laugh, and bent her head, shook it. “I hadn't really thought about it. But it worked, didn't it?”

Elayn's hand shifted in hers so it could grip back. “It did. How long?”

“Has it been?” When Elayn nodded, she leaned over to the table by the top corner of the bed where a ewer and wooden goblet sat. She poured water into the cup and handed it to her werewolf, who was pushing herself up against the pillows. When she was upright, she took the cup, and Serana said, “Three days. I was starting to get worried. “

“Starting to?” Elayn grinned, genuine, however tiredly, and took a long drink. When she resurfaced, she gasped, and said, “I thought when you resorted to threatening me, you were beside yourself. Only starting to get worried? I think I should be offended.”

Serana gave her a look that she hoped conveyed the mix of exasperation and fondness that she felt. “If you're well enough to tease me then I think you'll be just fine.”

“I should, after a few days.” She looked around. “Where are we exactly?”

When Serana told her, Elayn frowned, and her shoulders started to tense. “Oh.”

“Oh?”

“Claude isn't like a lot of werewolves, but I still don't want to be injured around a bunch of predators.”

Serana inclined her head. “If it helps, I think they're all still too shaken to try anything.”

“That… kind of helps.”

Before she could respond, there was a knock at the door, a specific tap-ta-tap-tap that she recognized. “Come in,” she said, and the door opened.

“It is good to see you awake, my friend,” the red-bearded werewolf said when he saw who was alert on the bed. “You should know how many times I had to assure your mate that it would happen.”

“She worries about me,” Elayn said, ducking her head as she looked chagrined, and aimed a smile at Serana, who returned it.

“You are welcome to stay here as long as you like,” Claude said. “Your spirit, however, may not thank you for it.”

_ I choose a feline shape. To be surrounded by those who choose a canine one is not a pleasant experience.  _ Salem flowed into the room, along the wall, and into a corner, where purple eyes blinked at them.

Elayn snorted. “You don't mind my company so much.”

_ You are not the typical werewolf. _

“I'll say.” Claude had a look on his face Serana couldn't decipher, there and then gone again before she could try. “Serana, do you mind if I speak with your mate alone for a moment?”

Serana looked to Elayn, whom she could only tell was nervous because of their bond, but she nodded. “It'll be fine. Stay outside the door?”

She could hear the conversation well from there, they all knew that, likely even Claude, but he said nothing about it. She nodded and rose. “I'll be right outside.”

* * *

"So?” Elayn asked, gruffly, to mask the terror she felt at being wounded in a room with an alpha.

Claude stepped a little further into the room, but the slow, careful way he did it went a long way toward keeping her from springing off the bed. “Your mate told me about your other shape, the one with fur and two legs.”

Oh, this? She grimaced. “And what about it?”

Then he said something she didn't expect to hear. “It is lucky you were able to accomplish such a thing.” When she looked shocked, he said, “Yes. Though it is unnatural, it was a very lucky thing, because it saved our lives. You stopped a ravening monster that could have further decimated my pack.”

Thinking of the old man and his story, Elayn said, “I think the Monster did a lot to deserve its end. I'm just glad someone managed it, even if it was me.”

He frowned at her and stepped a little closer. “You would make a fine addition to the pack, Elayn. You are a strong wolf. I would be honored to hunt beside you.”

From the look on his face and the tone in his voice, she'd have thought she was being chastised. “But?”

“There is no ‘but’.” Anger crossed his face in a flash, there and gone. “Whatever alpha made a waste of your talents, I hope their pack tears them apart.”

Elayn felt an ache in her chest, and her voice came out rough as she said, “You have no idea how likely that is. I think… I think my pack was sick. I'm starting to see it now.”

Claude nodded firmly. “My offer is genuine, if you would take it. Even your mate would be welcome, although we do not usually associate with vampires.”

For a moment, she thought about it. She really did. The wolf inside her longed for belonging, for pack, and the safety and security it brought.

But… she felt that with Serana. She didn't need to join a pack to find what she already had.

“Maybe one day,” she said, half-smiling. “But not today.”

He didn't look surprised. “I will send your mate back in now. Rest and recover well.”

“You too, wolf. I saw the Monster grab you.”

Claude grinned. “I shifted once we got you here. It is you who needs the good will.”

He left, and Serana came back in. She sat in the chair by the bed and smiled when she saw Elayn's weary cheer. “A good talk?”

“Aye.” She leaned back in the bed with a sigh. “So how does Italy sound?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are! Sorry for the delay in posting. I hope you enjoyed reading!
> 
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> 
> https://www.wattpad.com/user/Destructionofsanctum


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